Part 3 (1/2)

The protocol droid C-f0 3PO tottered out of the s.h.i.+p, followed by his astromech counterpart, R2-f0 D2. He stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the bleak desert landscape. They had landed at the edge of the Dune Sea, a sandy, windswept plain that stretched to the horizon. Bleached nearly white by the harsh Tatooine suns, the ocean of sand melded seamlessly into the pale, hazy sky. ”This climate is dreadfully bad for my joints!”

R2-f0 D2 beeped gleefully, wheeling circles around his golden friend, as Leia stretched.

”Easy for you to say,” C-f0 3PO snapped. ”You don't have to worry about your language circuits getting sandclogged. I still don't understand why we couldn't hide in a nice civilized place, like Coruscant or Kuat. As it happens, I actually speak all six dialects of Kuat, including the rare-”

”We're not going to Kuat,” Luke said irritably. ”And we're not hiding hiding.” He brushed a hand through his hair, already dusted with sand. Away from his home planet, he had forgotten the way the sand coated everything, inside and out.

Luke squinted against the brutal twin suns and wiped the sweat off his forehead, smearing his face with sandy grit. Hard to believe he'd spent his whole life here.

And yet, now that he was back, it was just as hard to believe he'd ever left.

”We're here for Biggs.”

True, no one in the Rebellion knew where they'd gone. And Leia was adamant that they not return to Yavin 4 until the Rebels had completed their investigation and discovered who wanted Luke dead. But Luke hadn't run away run away to Tatooine. He'd gotten a message the week before from his old friend Windy. to Tatooine. He'd gotten a message the week before from his old friend Windy.

The old gang was getting together, to mourn the death and celebrate the life of Biggs Darklighter. To remember the good old days.

The days before a TIE fighter blew Biggs out of the sky.

Luke had been there, seen it happen. One moment Biggs was there, the same confident flyboy he'd been back home, covering Luke as they attacked the Death Star.

Then, the next moment, nothing left but a cloud of debris, drifting into s.p.a.ce.

Luke had promised Leia he wouldn't tell any of his old friends where he'd been these last few months, which meant he couldn't tell them of Biggs's last moments or his last act of heroism. But Luke was determined to give his old friend the sendoff he deserved.

He just had one stop to make first.

”This is where you lived?” Leia asked, trying to see past the ruined remnants of the moisture farm and imagine what the place must have looked like before it was destroyed. It would have been hard under any circ.u.mstances-the Empire had burned most of it, and looting Jawas had taken care of the rest. But it wasn't just that. Leia would never have admitted it, but to her, the whole planet looked like a pile of ruins. Broken buildings, broken people. She couldn't imagine anyone growing up here, much less Luke.

He nodded, pointing at the pile of crumbled pourstone. It was already half-covered by sand and Leia suspected that within a few years, the desert would have reclaimed all remnants of the Lars moisture farm. ”My bedroom was over there,” Luke said. ”Some of the vaporators were spread out, all along there.

They were always breaking down, but it's like Uncle Owen always says, 'You want to be a moisture farmer, you have to-'”

He snapped his mouth shut.

”What?” Leia asked, when he didn't continue.

Luke shook his head.

He didn't have to explain any further. Leia had her own memories, her own ruined past. Sometimes it was hard to remember that the people you'd lost were gone forever. Sometimes it was impossible to forget.

They stood quietly for several long moments, the wind spraying a fine mist of sand in their faces. Even the droids knew better than to speak.

”Do you want to get closer?” Leia finally asked. ”See if...there's anything left to salvage?”

Luke hesitated for a moment, scanning the ruins, as if weighing the odds that anything could have survived the Imperial destruction. Then he gave himself a shake, and turned his back on his old home. Leia hurried after him as he headed toward the landspeeder. When she reached him, he offered her a smile-the first real smile she'd seen since they landed. ”I think I have a better idea.”

X-f0 7 stood in the middle of Luke's quarters, an odd sensation churning in his gut: uncertainty.

He had volunteered his help with the investigation of the explosion. And, as an official part of that investigation, he'd ransacked Luke's room. He'd scavenged through piles of Luke's clothing; he'd torn apart Luke's mattress.

Searched everywhere for some record, some clue to where Luke and Leia might have gone.

And he'd come up empty.

He'd begun slicing Luke's encrypted computer files, but it would take some time. Meanwhile, he'd find a way to search Leia's room next. This would be harder to do without raising suspicion, but he'd get it done. That wasn't his concern.

His concern was that he wouldn't find anything there, either.

His concern was that Luke had slipped through his fingers, and X-f0 7 wouldn't be able to hunt him down.

X-f0 7 wouldn't be able to complete the mission he'd been given by his master.

And that meant X-f0 7 would be punished.

As he had been punished before.

” You've failed me, You've failed me, ” ” the Commander says. the Commander says.

X-f0 7 squints into the blinding light. His master is a dark shadow, looming 7 squints into the blinding light. His master is a dark shadow, looming over him. X over him. X-f0 7 is immobilized, pinned to the wall by durasteel binders. There is 7 is immobilized, pinned to the wall by durasteel binders. There is no escape from the Commander's wrath. But the binders are unnecessary. X no escape from the Commander's wrath. But the binders are unnecessary. X-f0 7 7 will bear his punishment. He belongs to the Commander. If the Commander wishes to destroy him, that is his right. wishes to destroy him, that is his right.

” The bounty hunter had been stalking the target for weeks, The bounty hunter had been stalking the target for weeks, ” ” he reports. he reports. ” ” He He killed the target before I even arrived. There was nothing I could have done. killed the target before I even arrived. There was nothing I could have done. ” ”

A sharp crack, as the Commander backhands him across the jaw. ” ” No No excuses! excuses! ” ” he shouts. he shouts. ” ” You let someone else find the target first. You let someone You let someone else find the target first. You let someone kill kill him before he could be interrogated. There is no excuse for failure! him before he could be interrogated. There is no excuse for failure! ” ”

But X-f0 7 is explaining, not excusing. Only frightened men make excuses, 7 is explaining, not excusing. Only frightened men make excuses, and X and X-f0 7 has no fear. The Commander took that from him, along with every 7 has no fear. The Commander took that from him, along with every other emotion, long ago. For X other emotion, long ago. For X-f0 7, there are only facts. Events. And results. 7, there are only facts. Events. And results.

Except that the only acceptable result is success.

And he has failed.

He waits for death.

” I've put too much time and money into training you, I've put too much time and money into training you, ” ” the Commander the Commander mutters. mutters. ” ” But obviously it wasn't enough. Your training will continue. But obviously it wasn't enough. Your training will continue. ” ”

X-f0 7 knows what this means. Back in the dark cell that has been home for 7 knows what this means. Back in the dark cell that has been home for as long as he can remember. Back to the battles with carnivorous danchafs and as long as he can remember. Back to the battles with carnivorous danchafs and ravenous reeks. Back to the neural shock treatments, frying his system again ravenous reeks. Back to the neural shock treatments, frying his system again and again, until there was nothing left but the urge to follow orders. Back to the and again, until there was nothing left but the urge to follow orders. Back to the possibility of death lurking around every corner, behind every door. possibility of death lurking around every corner, behind every door.

” But first, you will be punished for your failure, But first, you will be punished for your failure, ” ” the Commander says. the Commander says.

The Commander draws out his tools. The Neuronic whip. The Fire blade. The force pike. The nerve disrupter. And the Treppus-2 vibroblade. force pike. The nerve disrupter. And the Treppus-2 vibroblade.

A droid could have accomplished this task with ease, but the Commander prefers to administer punishments himself. prefers to administer punishments himself.

X-f0 7 is unafraid. The Commander's displeasure worms inside of him, acid 7 is unafraid. The Commander's displeasure worms inside of him, acid that eats him from within. His failure is a physical fact, a physical pain. There is that eats him from within. His failure is a physical fact, a physical pain. There is nothing to life but pleasing the Commander; failing him is worse than death. nothing to life but pleasing the Commander; failing him is worse than death.

Worse than anything imaginable. The Commander lifts the vibroblade. His favorite. X favorite. X-f0 7 closes his eyes, believing he has nothing more to fear. 7 closes his eyes, believing he has nothing more to fear.

He is wrong.

” This This is your better idea?” Leia asked, stepping over a pile of womp rat dung as they wound their way through a desolate a.s.semblage of decrepit pourstone dwellings. Luke had called Anchorhead a small settlement, but as far as Leia could tell, it was barely more than a power station and a couple of cantinas. All looked deserted. is your better idea?” Leia asked, stepping over a pile of womp rat dung as they wound their way through a desolate a.s.semblage of decrepit pourstone dwellings. Luke had called Anchorhead a small settlement, but as far as Leia could tell, it was barely more than a power station and a couple of cantinas. All looked deserted.